Map of Seychelles | Geography | People | Government | Economy | Energy | Communication
Military | Transportation | Transnational Issues | Year: Guide198919901991199219931994199519961997199819992000200120022003200420052006200720082009201020112012201320142015201620172018201920202021202220232024 | More stats

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Background: A lengthy struggle between France and Great Britain for the islands ended in 1814 when they were ceded to the latter. Independence came in 1976.


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Location

Geographic coordinates

Map reference

Area

Land boundaries: none

Coastline: 491 km

Maritime claims
Continental shelf: edge of continental margin or 200 nm
Extended economic zone: 200 nm
Territorial sea: 12 nm

Climate: tropical marine; humid; cooler season during southeast monsoon (late May to September; warmer season during northwest monsoon (March to May)

Terrain: Mahe Group is granitic, narrow coastal strip, rocky, hilly; others are coral, flat, elevated reefs

Elevation

Natural resources: fish, copra, cinnamon trees

Land use: 4% arable land; 18% permanent crops; 0% meadows and pastures; 18% forest and woodland; 60% other

Irrigated land

Major rivers

Major watersheds area km²

Total water withdrawal

Total renewable water resources

Natural hazards

Geography
Note: located north-northeast of Madagascar in the Indian Ocean


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Population: 69,719 (July 1989), growth rate 1.6% (1989)

Nationality: noun - Seychellois (sing. and pl.; adjective - Seychelles

Ethnic groups: Seychellois (mixture of Asians, Africans, Europeans)

Languages: English and French (official; Creole

Religions: 90% Roman Catholic, 8% Anglican, 2% other

Demographic profile

Age structure

Dependency ratios

Median age

Population growth rate

Birth rate: 28 births/1000 population (1989)

Death rate: 7 deaths/1000 population (1989)

Net migration rate: - 6 migrants/1000 population (1989)

Population distribution

Urbanization

Major urban areas

Environment
Current issues: lies outside the cyclone belt, so severe storms are rare; short droughts possible; no fresh water, catchements collect rain; 40 granitic and about 50 coralline islands

Air pollutants

Sex ratio

Mothers mean age at first birth

Maternal mortality ratio

Infant mortality rate: 23 deaths/1000 live births (1989)

Life expectancy at birth: 67 years male, 76 years female (1989)

Total fertility rate: 3.2 children born/woman (1989)

Contraceptive prevalence rate

Drinking water source

Current health expenditure

Physicians density

Hospital bed density

Sanitation facility access

Hiv/Aids

Major infectious diseases

Obesity adult prevalence rate

Alcohol consumption

Tobacco use

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

Education expenditures

Literacy: 60%

School life expectancy primary to tertiary education

Youth unemployment


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Country name: conventional long form: Republic of Seychelles

Government type: republic; member of the Commonwealth

Capital: Victoria

Administrative divisions: none

Dependent areas

Independence: 29 June 1976 (from UK)

National holiday: Liberation Day (anniversary of coup), 5 June (1977)

Constitution: 5 June 1979

Legal system: based on English common law, French civil law, and customary law

International law organization participation

Citizenship

Suffrage: universal adult

Executive branch: Chief of State and Head of Government President France Albert RENE (assumed the presidency 5 June 1977, elected President 26 June 1979)

Legislative branch: Army, Navy, Air Force, Militia

Judicial branch

Political parties and leaders

International organization participation: AfDB, FAO, G-77, GATT (de facto), IBRD, ICAO, IFAD, IFC, ILO, IMF, IMO, INTERPOL, NAM, OAU, UN, UNESCO, UPU, WHO, WMO

Diplomatic representation
In the us: Second Secretary, Charge d'Affaires ad interim Marc R. MARENGO; Chancery (temporary) at 820 Second Avenue, Suite 201, New York, NY 10,017; telephone (212) 687-9,766; US - Ambassador James MORAN; Embassy at 4th Floor, Victoria House, Victoria (mailing address is Box 148, Victoria, or APO New York 9,030; telephone 23,921 or 23,922

Flag description: three horizontal bands of red (top), white (wavy), and green; the white band is the thinnest, the red band is the thickest

National symbols

National anthem

National heritage


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Economy overview: The tourist industry makes an important contribution to the economy, employing about 30% of the labor force and providing the main source of hard currency earnings. In recent years the government has launched a program to further promote the tourist industry by attracting foreign investment to upgrade hotels and other services. By doing so the government hopes to reduce an unemployment rate at the double-digit level.

Real gdp purchasing power parity

Real gdp growth rate

Real gdp per capita

Gross national saving

Gdp composition by end use

Gdp composition by sector of origin

Agriculture products: cash crops - coconuts and copra, also cinnamon, vanilla, green leaf tea, patchouli (used for perfumes; food crops - small quantities of sweet potatoes, cassava, sugarcane, and bananas; not self-sufficient in foodstuffs and the bulk of the supply must be imported; cattle, pigs, fish

Industries: tourism is the largest industry; processing of coconut and vanilla, fishing, coir rope factory, boat building, printing, furniture, beverage

Industrial production growth rate: 10.9% (1985)

Labor force:

Unemployment rate: 15% (1986)

Youth unemployment

Population below poverty line

Gini index

Household income or consumption by percentage share

Distribution of family income gini index

Budget: revenues $106 million; expenditures $130 million, including capital expenditures of $21 million (1987)

Taxes and other revenues

Public debt

Revenue

Fiscal year: calendar year

Inflation rate consumer prices

Central bank discount rate

Commercial bank prime lending rate

Stock of narrow money

Stock of broad money

Stock of domestic credit

Market value of publicly traded shares

Current account balance

Exports: $19 million (f.o.b., 1986)
Commodities: fish, copra, cinnamon bark, petroleum products (reexports)
Partners: Pakistan, France, Reunion, UK, Mauritius

Imports: $106 million (f.o.b., 1986)
Commodities: manufactured goods, food, tobacco, beverages, machinery and transportation equipment, petroleum products
Partners: Bahrain, UK, South Africa, Singapore, Japan, France

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Debt external: $178 million (December 1988)

Stock of direct foreign investment at home

Stock of direct foreign investment abroad

Exchange rates: Seychelles rupees (SR) per US$1 - 5.4597 (January 1989), 5.3836 (1988), 5.5995 (1987), 6.1768 (1986), 7.1343 (1985)


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Electricity
Capacity: 25,000 kW capacity; 67 million kWh produced, 980 kWh per capita (1988)

Coal

Petroleum

Crude oil

Refined petroleum

Natural gas

Carbon dioxide emissions

Energy consumption per capita


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Telephones

Telephone system

Broadcast media

Internet

Broadband fixed subscriptions


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Military expenditures
Dollar figure: $11.2 million, 8.1% of central government budget (1987)

Military and security forces

Military service age and obligation

Space program

Terrorist groups


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National air transport system

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

Airports: 14 total, 14 usable; 3 with permanent-surface runways; 1 with runways 2,440-3,659 m; 1 with runways 1,220-2,439 m

Heliports

Pipelines

Railways

Roadways

Waterways

Merchant marine: 1 refrigerated cargo (1,000 GRT or over) totaling 1,827 GRT/2,170 DWT

Ports and terminals


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Disputes international: claims Tromelin Island

Refugees and internally displaced persons

Illicit drugs